Women's Liberation Radio News

Edition 88: Life Beyond Trans with Emily Faye, Thistle & Elizabeth Chesak

Aug 3, 2023

In this podcast, they discuss festival season in Michigan, news on sexual violence in Brazil and the abortion ban in Texas. They pay tribute to the late Sinead O'Connor and interview Elizabeth Chesak about how transgenderism impacted her life. They explore the controversies of trans-identified individuals in women's spaces and the complexities of gender identity influences.

01:04:50

Creator website

Episode guests

Emily Faye

Elizabeth Chesak

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Feminists have varying opinions on desisted women, balancing trust and compassion.

Desistance involves acknowledging biological sex, impacting identity and beliefs.

Feminist spaces grapple with boundaries for desisted women, accountability and support are key.

Deep dives

The Complexity of Responding to Desisted Women in Feminism

Women in feminism have differing views on how to respond to desisted women, who are individuals who once identified as transgender and have now detransitioned. Some feminists feel that desisted women need to earn back trust and prove their growth, while others advocate for compassion and immediate acceptance back into womanhood. The mixed responses reflect a tension between caution and empathy towards desisted women.

Introduction

3min

Controversies and Advocacy in Women's Spaces

13min

Exploration of Gender Identity Influences

2min

Exploring Complexities of Gender Identity and Societal Influences

19min

Exploring Women's History and Feminist Friendships

17min

Navigating the Complexities of Including Desisted Women in Feminism

8min

Closing Remarks and Future Episode Preview

2min

Welcome to the 88th edition of WLRN's monthly handcrafted podcast for this first Thursday of the month in August 2023. Festival season is upon us in full force! Emily and I (Thistle) were just in the woods of Michigan for Big Mouth Girl and WPI and are now getting ready to go back for MFR (Michigan Framily Reunion). Jenna and her wife are en route to the Pines as I write this description to join hundreds of women for another Michigan music festival. O' August! It has been a month for womyn's music, art, culture, and community for over 45 years now since the very first MichFest that Lisa Vogel and friends conjured for us. Having said all that, today's show is not as edited as some of the editors on the team would have liked, but it is still perfect in its own imperfect way, as all of our collectively created shows are. First up, hear Emily greet the listener before diving into Mary O'Neill's world news segment in which she features, among other stories, news on sexual violence in Brazil and the abortion ban in Texas. Aurora linnea contributes a short segment during the world news to pay tribute to the late great singer/songwriter Sinead O'Connor who died on July 26th in London. Be sure to stay tuned for that passionate and moving piece from aurora. Next up, hear Sinead's song "The Emperor's New Clothes" in its entirety before we move into the interview Emily and I did with Elizabeth Chesak, a desisting woman who speaks out about how transgenderism impacted her life. Sekhmet SheOwl delivers our commentary this month at the end of the show that desists on certain radical feminist takes on desisterhood and detransitioning. It is a thoughtful and well-crafted commentary on a subject that has puzzled women since the dawn of patriarchy. How do we deal with internalized misogyny in women who have bought in to male rule at some point in their lives and in one way or another? We grapple with this question frequently at women's festivals during workshops and in conversation. The wonderful thing about festival is that women work it out, whether it is by finding the right neighborhood to hang out in, or by attending a workshop to talk it through. Women are resilient and creative when we come together away from the influence of men. We end the show with Sinead's voice, as the team at WLRN is sorely feeling the loss of our sister songbird who died too soon. Thanks for staying tuned to handcrafted, community-powered feminist radio, WLRN.